1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to be applied to, e.g., copying machines, printers, facsimiles, or multi-function peripherals having a copying function, a printer function and a facsimile function. It also relates to an image stabilizing processing method for an image forming device loaded in the image forming apparatus in a replaceable manner.
2. Description of Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In the aforementioned image forming apparatuses, an image creation device unit integrally provided with an electrophotography photosensitive drum and various devices, e.g., a developing device and a charging device, arranged around the drum is loaded in an exchangeable manner.
In order to maintain the image quality of the image creation device, it is configured to execute image stabilization processing every time the power supply of the image forming apparatus is turned on and/or every time the image creating device is replaced with a new one.
Such image stabilization processing includes common-processing common to both a brand-new image creation device (hereinafter may be simply referred to as “new device”) and a current image creation device which has been already loaded and currently used (hereinafter may be simply referred to as “old device”) and processing peculiar to such new devices or old devices. Furthermore, in some cases, both of all the image stabilization processing for new and old devices are common-processing, and no image stabilizing processing peculiar to old devices exists.
Accordingly, when the power source of the image forming apparatus is turned on or the image creation device is replaced with a new one, it is discriminated whether the image creation device is new or old. Conventionally, before discriminating whether the image creation device is new or old, image stabilization processing for old devices is initiated. Furthermore, even if it is discriminated that the device is new, after completion of the image stabilization processing for old devices, all of the image stabilization processing for new devices including common-processing common to old and new devices will be also executed from the beginning.
Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-64452 discloses that it is discriminated whether a developing cartridge is old or new and that processing to be executed to the developing cartridge is changed depending on the discrimination result.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-258637 discloses that it is discriminated whether a process cartridge is in a rather new condition or in a rather used condition and that the contents of processing are changed depending on the discrimination result to prevent fluctuation of a print line width.
As mentioned above, however, in cases where it is discriminated that an image creation device is new, although the common-processing common to new and old devices had been already executed by the initially executed image stabilization processing for old devices, all of the processing including the common-processing will be also executed when the image stabilization processing for new devices is executed. Therefore, the efficiency was poor and it took a time to complete the image stabilization processing.
The aforementioned Japanese publications completely fail to disclose, or even recognize, the aforementioned problems and/or solution thereof.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.